Chapter Ten
Broken Promises
Later, Jade told Roxanne about Peter and how she would have to spend the night with him.
Roxanne frowned and didn't say anything; she didn't know how to help with her friend's
problem. So, Roxanne decided to change the subject. "That girl, Tiffany, is still hanging
around. I think she wants to take your part away." Roxanne said, and then she knew she had
said the wrong thing. If Jade didn't have enough to worry about with Peter and Alex now she
had to worry about losing her part.
Jade sighed and slumped down on the table they were sitting at.
The club would be opening in a few hours but Jade wouldn't be performing tonight; Sunday
was one of the Moulin Rouge's "slow days" so most of the courtesans and dancers were taking
the night off.
Jade looked up. "This is not turning out the way I wanted it to."
She sobbed; she had wanted to come to Moulin Rouge and become famous not have to worry
about problems with guys. If Peter hadn't showed up..then well she wouldn't be crying on a
tabletop. Roxanne tried to comfort her friend. However, nothing she said would make her feel
any better.
That night, Jade had dinner with Peter up in his room. It was after dinner now;
Jade was still sitting in her dinner seat when Peter came behind her. He kissed the top of
her head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"You and this boy, strictly for the show?" Peter asked, kissing the side of her head.
"Yes, nothing more; we're just acting in the play together." She lied.
Peter took her hand and pulled her out of her chair; he embraced her close and kissed her.
In the room used to rehearse Spectacular Spectacular, everyone was seated in chairs
even though there were no rehearsals taking place. No one had come to the Moulin Rouge that
night -no one usually came on Sundays- so everyone had moved into the extra room to escape
the sounds of construction. Alex had his head bowed and couldn't stop thinking of Jade -the
woman he loved- with someone else. Roxanne and Christian were sitting on opposite sides of
him; Christian was writing in the script for the show and Roxanne was sitting in her chair
being bored. Tiffany strutted up to them and drew a chair; she sat in front of Alex.
Christian looked up when she took a set; Tiffany faced Christian. "Is this what you do all
day here, sit around and do nothing?" She asked, scornfully. Christian didn't answer her
but went back to his script. "We should have a dance." She suggested. Neither of the three
responded so Tiffany turned towards Alex and grabbed his hand. She pulled him out of the
chair. "Let's dance." She commanded. In the back of the room there was piano; someone began
to play a song on the. Some of the courtesans began picking partners and began to dance
to the music. Alex danced with Tiffany, though he didn't want to and really wasn't thinking
about the steps.
Roxanne nudged Christian. "Can you believe that? She just comes up here and
just takes him like that." Roxanne spat as she watched Tiffany press closer to Alex.
Christian looked up. "Come what may." He muttered simply and went back to the script;
he hadn't been himself lately.
Up in Peter's room, Peter was kissing Jade passionately; she was kissing back, she
couldn't help it and she didn't want Peter to suspect anything. Peter pulled her closer to
him; suddenly, Jade didn't want to even be near him anymore. She broke his kiss and backed
a step away. "No." She whispered, thinking of Alex. Peter looked surprised and then he
caught on. "You, you lied to me; you said there was nothing going on between you! You lied!"
She cried and raised his hand. He struck Jade across the side of the face before she could
react. Jade fell to the floor in surprise and raised a hand to her sore cheek. Peter
advanced onto her; jealousy raged in his eyes. "You should be an actress not a singer, you
act so very, very well!" He cried and grabbed her wrist. He raised her off the ground and
struck her again. Jade winced and felt tears run down her cheeks. She wrenched out of his
grasp and fell back to the floor. She crawled backward but Peter grabbed her wrist again,
both wrists, and raised her upward again. He threw her to the ground as hard as he could;
she fell into the table and hit her head on the edge. She managed to sit up, her vision was
blurry and her head throbbed in sharp pain. Peter was advancing toward her again and Jade
crawled under the table; Peter was in a jealous rage, Jade was afraid for her life. She
had heard of men who got so jealous that they didn't care who they hurt and sometimes they
even killed that person. Jade cringed under the table; Peter stooped down and tried to grab
her arm. Jade pulled back and backed out of the table; before she could get away Peter had
grabbed her again and thrown her against the table. The pain was sharper then ever in her
head but Jade crawled toward the door. She managed to stand up and run out of the room; her
head ached with every step she took and it was hard for her to see. Jade stumbled down to
the main room in the club, aware that Peter wasn't following her. She had to find Alex or
Christian or Roxanne; she stumbled and fell to the floor. Jade quickly stood up again and
headed toward the rehearsal room where she was sure everyone was there. Jade stumbled
toward the door of the room and opened it. Inside she saw that some of the courtesans had
paired off and were dancing; she looked around for Alex and saw him dancing with Tiffany.
Jade's eyes went wide; Alex and Tiffany were too close for them to just be dancing. Jade's
breath caught in her throat as she stumbled along to wall toward them; she also saw
Christian and Roxanne. As she got closer she saw Tiffany look at her; Tiffany turned back
to Alex and leaned forward as to kiss him. Alex leaned forward as well and kissed; Jade nearly
collapsed, she felt like her heart wasn't there anymore, her breath caught in her throat.
Jade saw Roxanne's eyes go wide too as she watched Alex and Tiffany kiss; Christian looked
up and noticed Jade, slumped against the wall. She was bruised and bleeding; Christian knew
that Jade was watching them kiss as well. Tiffany broke the kiss and smiled; she looked in
Jade's direction and gave her the most hateful yet smuggest smile Jade had ever seen. Alex
turned his head to follow Tiffany's gaze; he gasped when he saw Jade standing there.
Roxanne also turned to follow their gazes, she saw Jade nearly collapse, her face bruised
and her head was bleeding. Roxanne stood up -Christian did as well- and ran to Jade; Alex
pulled away from Tiffany but she grabbed his arm and held him back. Christian reached Jade,
who collapsed in his arms sobbing. Roxanne shot a hateful look back at Alex before turned
back to Jade.
"What happened?" She asked but Jade didn't answer.
Christian lifted Jade into his arms and cradled her; she had passed out,
her head was bleeding in two different places and her face was horribly bruised. Without
looking back at Alex -who had managed to pull away from Tiffany- Roxanne and Christian left
the room and headed for the back room of the Moulin Rouge.
Broken Promises
Later, Jade told Roxanne about Peter and how she would have to spend the night with him.
Roxanne frowned and didn't say anything; she didn't know how to help with her friend's
problem. So, Roxanne decided to change the subject. "That girl, Tiffany, is still hanging
around. I think she wants to take your part away." Roxanne said, and then she knew she had
said the wrong thing. If Jade didn't have enough to worry about with Peter and Alex now she
had to worry about losing her part.
Jade sighed and slumped down on the table they were sitting at.
The club would be opening in a few hours but Jade wouldn't be performing tonight; Sunday
was one of the Moulin Rouge's "slow days" so most of the courtesans and dancers were taking
the night off.
Jade looked up. "This is not turning out the way I wanted it to."
She sobbed; she had wanted to come to Moulin Rouge and become famous not have to worry
about problems with guys. If Peter hadn't showed up..then well she wouldn't be crying on a
tabletop. Roxanne tried to comfort her friend. However, nothing she said would make her feel
any better.
That night, Jade had dinner with Peter up in his room. It was after dinner now;
Jade was still sitting in her dinner seat when Peter came behind her. He kissed the top of
her head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"You and this boy, strictly for the show?" Peter asked, kissing the side of her head.
"Yes, nothing more; we're just acting in the play together." She lied.
Peter took her hand and pulled her out of her chair; he embraced her close and kissed her.
In the room used to rehearse Spectacular Spectacular, everyone was seated in chairs
even though there were no rehearsals taking place. No one had come to the Moulin Rouge that
night -no one usually came on Sundays- so everyone had moved into the extra room to escape
the sounds of construction. Alex had his head bowed and couldn't stop thinking of Jade -the
woman he loved- with someone else. Roxanne and Christian were sitting on opposite sides of
him; Christian was writing in the script for the show and Roxanne was sitting in her chair
being bored. Tiffany strutted up to them and drew a chair; she sat in front of Alex.
Christian looked up when she took a set; Tiffany faced Christian. "Is this what you do all
day here, sit around and do nothing?" She asked, scornfully. Christian didn't answer her
but went back to his script. "We should have a dance." She suggested. Neither of the three
responded so Tiffany turned towards Alex and grabbed his hand. She pulled him out of the
chair. "Let's dance." She commanded. In the back of the room there was piano; someone began
to play a song on the. Some of the courtesans began picking partners and began to dance
to the music. Alex danced with Tiffany, though he didn't want to and really wasn't thinking
about the steps.
Roxanne nudged Christian. "Can you believe that? She just comes up here and
just takes him like that." Roxanne spat as she watched Tiffany press closer to Alex.
Christian looked up. "Come what may." He muttered simply and went back to the script;
he hadn't been himself lately.
Up in Peter's room, Peter was kissing Jade passionately; she was kissing back, she
couldn't help it and she didn't want Peter to suspect anything. Peter pulled her closer to
him; suddenly, Jade didn't want to even be near him anymore. She broke his kiss and backed
a step away. "No." She whispered, thinking of Alex. Peter looked surprised and then he
caught on. "You, you lied to me; you said there was nothing going on between you! You lied!"
She cried and raised his hand. He struck Jade across the side of the face before she could
react. Jade fell to the floor in surprise and raised a hand to her sore cheek. Peter
advanced onto her; jealousy raged in his eyes. "You should be an actress not a singer, you
act so very, very well!" He cried and grabbed her wrist. He raised her off the ground and
struck her again. Jade winced and felt tears run down her cheeks. She wrenched out of his
grasp and fell back to the floor. She crawled backward but Peter grabbed her wrist again,
both wrists, and raised her upward again. He threw her to the ground as hard as he could;
she fell into the table and hit her head on the edge. She managed to sit up, her vision was
blurry and her head throbbed in sharp pain. Peter was advancing toward her again and Jade
crawled under the table; Peter was in a jealous rage, Jade was afraid for her life. She
had heard of men who got so jealous that they didn't care who they hurt and sometimes they
even killed that person. Jade cringed under the table; Peter stooped down and tried to grab
her arm. Jade pulled back and backed out of the table; before she could get away Peter had
grabbed her again and thrown her against the table. The pain was sharper then ever in her
head but Jade crawled toward the door. She managed to stand up and run out of the room; her
head ached with every step she took and it was hard for her to see. Jade stumbled down to
the main room in the club, aware that Peter wasn't following her. She had to find Alex or
Christian or Roxanne; she stumbled and fell to the floor. Jade quickly stood up again and
headed toward the rehearsal room where she was sure everyone was there. Jade stumbled
toward the door of the room and opened it. Inside she saw that some of the courtesans had
paired off and were dancing; she looked around for Alex and saw him dancing with Tiffany.
Jade's eyes went wide; Alex and Tiffany were too close for them to just be dancing. Jade's
breath caught in her throat as she stumbled along to wall toward them; she also saw
Christian and Roxanne. As she got closer she saw Tiffany look at her; Tiffany turned back
to Alex and leaned forward as to kiss him. Alex leaned forward as well and kissed; Jade nearly
collapsed, she felt like her heart wasn't there anymore, her breath caught in her throat.
Jade saw Roxanne's eyes go wide too as she watched Alex and Tiffany kiss; Christian looked
up and noticed Jade, slumped against the wall. She was bruised and bleeding; Christian knew
that Jade was watching them kiss as well. Tiffany broke the kiss and smiled; she looked in
Jade's direction and gave her the most hateful yet smuggest smile Jade had ever seen. Alex
turned his head to follow Tiffany's gaze; he gasped when he saw Jade standing there.
Roxanne also turned to follow their gazes, she saw Jade nearly collapse, her face bruised
and her head was bleeding. Roxanne stood up -Christian did as well- and ran to Jade; Alex
pulled away from Tiffany but she grabbed his arm and held him back. Christian reached Jade,
who collapsed in his arms sobbing. Roxanne shot a hateful look back at Alex before turned
back to Jade.
"What happened?" She asked but Jade didn't answer.
Christian lifted Jade into his arms and cradled her; she had passed out,
her head was bleeding in two different places and her face was horribly bruised. Without
looking back at Alex -who had managed to pull away from Tiffany- Roxanne and Christian left
the room and headed for the back room of the Moulin Rouge.